SimonS

Anyone else wanting one, can buy from a seller on ebay for

I've just ordered mine - says 'in stock' https://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=15185&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=10215

I have this radio/cass available for sale. Complete with manual and code. Condition is like Brand New. PM if you're interested.

Have a read of this post http://www.briskoda.net/forums/octavia/aircon-failed-two-months-out-warranty-help/52147/ I got my aircon fixed for

UPDATE Bought a Brand New clutch (part no 1J0 820 811 H) for

My question was more about whether I could expect Skoda UK or the dealer to provide assistance, 2 months out of warranty - given the circumstances. Any thoughts? I've spoken with the warranty comany, Elita, who weren't interested. I then spoke with the general manager at the dealer I purchased from. He said he wouldn't be prepared to pay anything, but if I brought the car in they'd examine it for free and speak with Skoda UK. He would ask them if they if they were prepared to offer any financial help, given the circumstances of the failure. The thing is this: Are Skoda only going to help if it the dealer is fixing? Because the dealer price of the parts are double what I could source them for. So even if Skoda could be persuaded to contribute maybe 50% towards replacement - the cost would similar to not involving them. New compressor - Dealer:

Car (2001 TDI Elegance) was bought 08/02/05, and have had no major problems with it. Yesterday (nice sunny day), I put the a/c on full. Air wasn't cold at all. I thought it might need re-gassing as the car is now 5yr old. Took it in to aircon specialist, who said it didn't need re-gassing as the pressure was fine. Must be something more serious he said. He'd need to examine the compressor, and asked me to come back after removing the under tray. Removed the tray this afternoon and found the a/c clutch (armature plate) laid on the under tray! I wouldn't have had a clue what it was, except for reading up on it last night - and seeing the illustations in the service manual I found. I can't be sure the a/c was even working when I got the car, because it never felt particularly cold. I should have got it looked at then! The thing is, if it had failed from Sep/Oct 05 onwards, I'm not going to notice anyway - not needed. Car was purchased from a proper franchised dealer with the 1yr full Skoda warranty. Where do you think I stand with the dealer or Skoda? Do you think the condition of the armature plate (pics attached) helps prove failure earlier on? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Here are the two different column stalks for cruise conrol. IMHO, the 2x button one is easier to use (the one I have fitted). I had the 1x button one previously fitted to a Seat Toledo - this was fiddly to use the accelerate feature, where you have to slide the spring tentioned switch to the right. Left Pic: 1J095351301C Right Pic: 8L0953513J01C

It's actually cheaper to buy the parts from VW dealers, about

Symphony head unit + 6 disc changer on ebay - I'm not connected with this in any way. Or, if you only need the head unit, you can have mine.

The genuine ones are only

I'm sure I read somewhere that speeding through a temporary limit (excluding motorways) is a non-endorsable offence. Worth checking.

Thanks for the support, chaps. I'm inclined to go to court. Yes I may risk having to fork out more money (having to pay court costs), but if I don't - well I'm accepting something I feel is totally wrong. To others that feel the opposite, that I should pay up and shut up - I'll give an example: Your local shop has been offering a local magazine for free for the last 15 years. They're stacked up on a shelf close to the entance to the shop. You pop in regularly for this local magazine, sometimes you make a purchase (packet of fags, sweets) at the same time or sometimes you just take a magazine. Then, suddenly, shop gets greedy. They start charging for said magazine. A price ticket is now displayed alongside magazine. The next time you pop in for the magazine, you don't notice the price ticket (the ticket is small, there's people in the way, etc). You grab one and leave the shop. One week later, a letter comes through your door accusing you of theft. They go on to say they have pics of you from their instore camera and will be issuing a summons. Still feel the same?

I wanted to sell a two week old car (Seat Toledo) back in 2000. No dealers were interested at all. They knew that there would be such a massive price difference between what I wanted / what they'd pay. I did find one used VW specialist, who was happy to have my car in his showroom and he would take a commision from what the car sold for. This maybe your best course of action, as a private sale is difficult on such a new car. Joe public prefer dealers as they offer warranty, finance and some recourse. I was lucky, in that I'd bought my car at such a massive discount (imported from Ireland), I was able to price the car much lower than franchised dealers. I ended up selling the car for the same as what I'd paid, via an ad I'd placed on autotrader website. Bearing in mind I was still competing with car supermarkets selling imports for similar money, I was very fortunate in selling at all.

Here are the pics: 1-4 are in the direction of travel Pic1 shows the new reduced speed sign, which is sited way ahead of where the old 40mph sign was sited, and way before the speed trap. Pic 2 shows the empty post where I think the old 40 mph sign was sited. This is further up the road towards the speed trap. Pic 3 shows further up the road. Notice the distance between lamposts and the 2x yellow signs further ahead. Pic 4 shows these 2x signs quite clearly, with no mph limit - Why? (BLUE dot shows location of camera van on right hand side) Pic 5 shows the 2x LARGE signs at the approach from the OPPOSITE DIRECTION to the area close to speedtrap. (BLUE dot shows location of camera van on left hand side)

Thanks for the replies. I wondered about the fact that 41mph is 'still' over, but I read somewhere that speeding becomes an absolute offence when travelling at more than 1mph over the limit (ie 42mph).

Just to clarify: There are no 40mph signs now - there is an empty post where it was attached. I don't know if the 40mph sign was there when I got flashed (probably not). My gripe is that when there is a change to speed limit in force, it should be properly signposted. The new 30mph sign isn't even a 'normal' MPH sign, it is a small rectangular one with text only. The 40mph sign that was removed was the familiar red circle. I will need to check the distance between lamposts.

Last week I was flashed by a mobile detector van while travelling along a main road, at 11am. The portion of road in question was 40mph (or a least I thought so). The NIP (notice of intended prosecution) that came through the post claims I was doing 41mph on a 30mph road. I thought that stange, so I revisted the area where I had been flashed. The road in question is mostly 30mph (where houses are on either side), then towards the end of the road, where it widens (no houses), a 40 mph sign was sited. It was after this where I was flashed. I've been along this road frequently for the last 15 years, and this has never changed - untill now! Having revisted the area today I have noted the following: 1. 3 or 4 small speed camera signs attached to lamposts (no limit marked) 2. Empty lampost (where the normal 40mph sign had been for years) 3. Small, red, rectangular sign (text only): "new 30mph limit in force" attached to different lampost. This size of this sign is one which you would normally see placed underneath a regular road sign for additional info only. I decided to enter this part of the road from the other direction - and what do you know? Great big, massive sign making a song and dance act about there being a 30 mph limit! Fair enough. So why not anything even approaching this level of notice for travellers in the opposite direction? I am really cheesed off at being caught out like this, as I regularly observe speed limits. I have had a clean license for over 5 years. I feel the need to have this considered in court, rather than just accept a fixed penalty of

If the tank is 55 litres, and I am almost dry - how come I could only squeeze in 53 litres exactly? I used the venting trick (something I remembered from my Seat Toledo) and clicked the nodule about 25 times. Didn't dare click it anymore. I'd drove an additional 20 miles since the trip computer said 0 miles and the needle on fuel gauge was completely to the left. Has anyone else managed to stick more fuel in than this? It's diesel by the way.

I can't beleive the tone of some of the posts in this thread. Some of you almost suggest that Lee deserves the poor treatment metered out to him. I've just bought a 4yr old Octy last month from dealer (1) 60 miles away, whilst my local dealer (2) is only 5 miles way. As to be expected, I'll be using the nearer one for servicing & warranty work. To choose my Octy, I visited dealer (2) first. They had a T reg @

Only just got my Y reg Octy last month. Expecting to keep it untill the repairs cost more than the car.

I've got the Mark IV Golf Haynes manual, which I bought for my Seat Toledo. Most of the mechanics were the same. The only real loss is anything internal like trim and instrumentation. Got an Octy now, again most things are similar.

That will explain why I was so impressed with the 2003 Octy 90 bhp I test drove a couple of weeks ago! I thought it would have felt a lot different to my SEAT, I'd written off the week before. But if felt as good as I remembered my SEAT Toledo. Is there any diff between the 110 TDI Seat engine and the 110 TDI Skoda engine? The reason I ask, is that the Octy I have just got (39000 miles) seems quicker/smoother than my SEAT (34000 miles). Infact, the whole car feels better.